Vehicle

2004 Mazda RX-8 Coupe Manual 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 6M)

Review

I bought the car on a whim because of how much fun it was to drive without doing much research. After buying the car almost EVERY mechanic I knew told me that I made a terrible choice. These rotary engines in these cars suck. My engine blew at 80k miles and mine lasted longer than most. Buying this car was a waste of money.

Vehicle

2004 Mazda RX-8 Coupe Manual 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 6M)

Review

This car is great. It is amazing to drive. It grips the road and corners like a dream. It isn't the fastest car from a stop, but it more than makes up once you get moving. If you plan on buying though, do some research. The rotary engine should not be driven like a normal piston engine. It requires high rpms to run correctly. If you try to baby this car, you will have problems (carbon build-up, flooding). The best advice Ive seen about this vehicle is drive it like you stole it. BTW, get the manual transmission, it gives you a lot more horsepower than the automatic version.
Make sure you check that the engine recall was taken care of before you buy and you shouldnt have any problems.

Best Features

The seats are so comfortable, they really hold you in place. The suicide doors are great for the kids. There are airbags everywhere! This car has a lot of bells and whistles.

Worst Features

The AC is not the best because it goes into a power saving mode at stops.

Vehicle

2004 Mazda RX-8 Coupe Manual 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 6M)

Review

The RX8 is a true 4 door 4 seat sports cars, what it lacks in low end torque it makes up for in handling. Rotary motor propels the 3100lb RX8 to 60 in 6.0 sec. and a ľ mile in 14.9. Fuel consumption for the RX8 was Avg for when it first came out, 17city/24 Hwy.
The cars light weight stiff chassis and electronic steering makes this a point and drive sports car allowing even the novice of sports car owners the ability to get behind the wheel and take the turns like a pro.
This car does come at a price requiring you to add oil about ever 4 fill upís. This is a good daily driver for hwy only commuters

Best Features

The Rotary engine exhaust note, nothing else sounds quite like it when hitting high RPMs.
One of the best handling cars on the market today, even it's big brother the RX7 can not handle the turns the same way, yet still give you a comfy ride on the street.
The cabin lay out is excellent while at the same time providing room for 4 adults 6ft and under. (not a car for larger people, if your over 6ft and 210lbs I would look at other cars as this may not fit you well).

Worst Features

It would be nice if it did have more torque, however it is a Rotary and with that 150tq N/A is pretty good I do recommended a Greddy Turbo kit. Engine Coils, wires, starter and battery all were upgraded on 05+ models, due to issues of flooding the motor so be advised with that if the car has not had those upgrade. At min the Battery needs to be at 640CCA. Factory coils go bad at about 25k miles (they are easy to change for even a novice of car owners) taking about 15 mins to change. You tube has a lot of videos on that.
I would purchase
NGK spark plugs, Magnacore wires and ESMERIL or Black Halo coils. Remember 29 developers on the Rotary 10000's on the piston motor, so it will have quirks.

Vehicle

2004 Mazda RX-8 Coupe Manual 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 6M)

Review

Bought it used at 76k miles, and had it until 86k miles for only one year. One of the most fun to drive cars, but also one of the most unreliable and expensive cars to own. Spent over 12k in one year in maintenance alone. PROs and CONs are listed in the full review.

Best Features

PROS:
ABSOLUTELY FUN to drive. One of the most amazing experiences while driving this car. The handling and throttle response is beyond comprehension. Horsepower is adequate enough to please most people in CA freeways/highways. Torque is just enough to give you little kick, although just a bit more would be a blissful dream.
EXTREMELY sporty looks on the exterior and in the interior that would surely turn heads.
Adequate sound system
Great room usage for such a small sporty car.

Worst Features

CONS:
Total cost of ownership is expensive mostly due to maintenance/repairs
Reliability of these vehicles are HORRENDOUS. Engines are very fragile, and must be maintained extremely carefully, and must be driven a particular way (recommended not driving at low RPMs)
Maintenance can be VERY EXPENSIVE, especially at the rate your vehicle may be going to the garage.
MPG is BELOW AVERAGE with most people averaging around 16MPG in this car. Gas also requires premium, which makes it more expensive for such a small car.
Avoid heavy traffic at all costs. MPG drops a lot more in traffic, and driving and stopping damages your engine components.
Front Cup holders are in a bad position
Small trunk

Vehicle

2004 Mazda RX-8 Coupe Manual 4dr Coupe (1.3L 2rtr 6M)

Review

The rotary is an amazing engine but different from regular piston engines & should be treated w/ that in mind. Many of these bad reviews stem from individuals who havent researched or properly cared for it. There are a few minor issues & if you RESEARCH it you will easily find ways to avoid those- not to mention 10 yr/100k mi warranty on the engine core components is a nice bonus should it be necessary.
A rotary engine needs time to warm up. Turning the engine off while its still cold will flood it. There are reviews of people complaining about this but you can easily avoid it by letting it run for a minute or 2
Thanks to researching the RX8 first, I've never had an issue.

Best Features

The ride is unbelievably comfortable & smooth for a sports car. The RX8 come stock with incredible suspension & handles like a champ at high speeds on corners.
A very cool feature is it beeps when it reaches 9 grand letting you know itís time to shift.
If you are going to buy an RX8, I suggest buying model years 04-08. Not only has Mazda extended the warranty on these years, there is also technology, such as the Cobb Access Port for the 04-08 RX8s computer, that is not available for the 09-11 year models & never will be.
Value is rising since Mazda discontinued the RX8. My cars kbb value was $10,600 summer 2011. I put 15k miles on it since then & kbbs listed value today is $12,700

Worst Features

Mazda recommends the WRONG oil, 5w20, to get higher EPA ratings & improve gas mileage to appease buyers but it will ultimately harm the RX8 causing the catalytic converter to eventually clog, suffocating the motor & lose a noticeable amount of power. 5w20 is too thin for the rotary engine. 10w40 regular motor oil has been tested & proven in RX8s across the WORLD to provide optimal performance. You will lose a few MPGs, but you will save more by keeping your engine healthy.
There is an awful amount of complaining being done by owners about the MPGs (even with the wrong oil). Those owners belong in a Prius! If you cant afford to spend a few extra dollars in gas, you cannot afford the RX8.